[426] A Dictionary of Printers and Booksellers, 1557-1640, Bibliog. Soc., 1910: Index of London Addresses.
[427] 1625, 1631, 1633, 1639, 1647.
[428] In 1626 the work was made over to Miller by Field's widow. Arber, Transcript, iv. 157.
[429] How closely, may be judged by comparing the following selection with the description of Holyband's rules on p. 142, supra.
| How do you pronounce g before n? | Comment prononcez vous g devant n? |
| Gn is hardly pronounced by Englishmen. | Gn se prononce difficilement par les Anglois. |
| Notwithstanding if they will take heed how they do pronounce minion ... it will be more easy for them to pronounce it: for though we do write the selfesame words with gn, neverthelesse there is small difference between their pronunciation and ours: let them take heed only to sound g in the same syllable that n is, and then they shall not finde any hardnesse in his pronunciation, as mignon ... mi-gnon. | Toutesfois s'ils veulent prendre garde comment ils prononcent minion, onion, companion, il leur sera plus aisé de le prononcer: car encore que nous escrivions ces mesmes mots par gn, neantmoins il y a peu de difference de leur prononciation a la nostre: seulement qu'ils prennent garde à mettre g en la mesme syllable que n, et ils ne trouveront aucune difficulté en sa prononciation, comme mi-gnon. . . . |
[430] "Et pourroit a bon droict estre comparé a quelques vieilles masures d'un bastiment où il a tant creu de ronces et espines, qu'à grand peine il apert que jamais il y ait eu de maisons. Car devant qu'on eust trouvé l'imprimerie, on l'a tant de fois coppié, et chaque écrivain l'escrivant à la fantaisie et ne retenant l'orthographe françoise, que maintenant il semble qu'il n'y ait presque langage plus esloigné du vray François que ce François de vos loix."
[431] Bellot frequently refers to the gent hargneuse and the "aiguillons envenimez des langues qui se plaisent à detracter les œuvres d'autruy et qui deprisent tout ce qui n'est tiré de leurs boutiques, iaçoit que souvente fois leur estofe ne soit que biffes et hapelourdes."
[432] Returns of Aliens, Hug. Soc. Pub. x. pt. i. pp. xii, xiv.
[433] And again: "Or vous noterés qu'en tous les noms terminés en ent, t n'est pas exprimé en la fin: quant aux verbes, il est prononcé, mais bien doucement: donnés vous donc garde d'ensuivre en ceci les Bourgignons qui expriment leur t si fort que de deux syllabes ilz en font trois: comme quand nous disons ils mangent . . . le Walon dira; ilz mangete." And yet again: "Sounde ch as sh in English: you shall not follow in this the Picard or Bourgignions, for they doo pronounce ch like k, say kien for chien."
[434] French was widely used in the Spanish Netherlands, and there was hardly any opening for the teaching of any of the Germanic languages in England at this early time, when they were only learnt in exceptional cases. There were no doubt a few such teachers, here and there. We are told that in London "there be also teachers and professors of the Holy or Hebrew language, of the Caldean, Syriack or Arabicke or Tartary Languages, of the Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch and Polish Tongues. And here be they which can speake the Persian and the Morisco, and the Turkish and the Muscovian Language, and also the Sclavonian tongue, which passeth through seventeen nations. And in divers other languages fit for Ambassadors and Orators, and Agents for Merchants, and for Travaylors and necessarie for all commerce or Negociation whatsoever." Buck, The Third Universitie of England, 1619, ch. xxxvii. "Of Languages." The earliest work for teaching Dutch to Englishmen was probably the Dutch Tutor of 1660; cp. F. Watson, Modern Subjects, ch. xv. John Minsheu taught a number of languages in London, and wrote a Ductor in Linguas (1617), in eleven languages.